Re: Communication class It sounds very interesting Julie. How do they suggest you proceed with this and use what you have learnt ? Are the courses for Charlie to learn how to behave or for you to understand dog interaction ? If for example Charlie was to meet an unfriendly dog off lead and fom their body language you knew it wasn't going to go well how do they suggest you deal with it ? If Charlie learns all the manners that the teaching dogs have (sorry I should have said when) and meets a dog with no manners should Charlie be able to take charge and influence the situation ? Sorry loads of questions I just find this really interesting. ;D
Re: Communication class Going forwards, we'll be regulars at this class - this will be a big part of Charlie's continued socialisation into adulthood - and I might do some 121s with the teaching dogs if I can fit it in. That, plus the dogs he meets now we can go to training, and the playdates we have with lovely dogs we already know, means that more and more we won't tend to interact much with other dogs out and about. It isn't about teaching me apart from in a way we are all learning by observing the dogs and discussing what is happening. Although the being calm around other dogs and the recall training, interrupting play, is of course fantastically useful. It is about teaching Charlie, yes. It is about how Charlie deals with dogs without manners in addition to improving his own. The hope is that Charlie will pick up some of the skills that the teaching dogs have. My hope would be that Charlie becomes more assertive around other dogs. If another dog is too pushy, Charlie will sort of freeze, or try to leave. This is where it sometimes goes wrong, I think - if Charlie changed his reaction to being more confident at that point, I think his interactions would go better. I know from today that when I see he is worried, it's because he is unsure what to do for the best. I'd be happy to see Charlie growl at another dog when they get it wrong, for example, rather than stand there at a loss as to what to do next. Dogs that are confident, and sure of themselves, don't get "picked on" so much. Charlie gives off the air of being a total wimp at times. When he is not over sniffing and being rude himself of course. : It isn't about me intervening, although should better help me decide whether I should - I'll ask more about that next time though.
Re: Communication class It sounds an excellent structured way of socialising a dog and for a dog to learn from another dog how to behave I think is a very interesting way of doing it. I would guess learning this way is very beneficial and the dog will have a better understanding of how to behave with dogs.
Re: Communication class Sounds really interesting look forward to hearing about your subsequent sessions
Re: Communication class I was thinking it seems similar to Turrid Rugass 's methods in On Talking Terms with Dogs when she uses her dogs to teach good communication to dogs who haven't learnt how.
Re: Communication class I think it's the only way dogs learn - it's not possible to teach this to dogs by a human (I could try C&T for good bottom sniffing, but I am not sure I'm in a good position to spot the required subtleties ;D). So I could take my chances with the dogs I meet out and about - fine if you mix with a lot of well brought up dogs - but I'm not that keen to do that in London. Or go to a class where it's a bit more guaranteed. This class "big softies" is for dogs without any particular problems, so it was rather undramatic - the other classes, for very shy dogs, and dogs with some aggression problems might be more the kind of thing Turid Rugaass describes in her books. I suspect the serious stuff is done in 121s though.
Re: Communication class Very interesting. Did you learn at what age teenaged Labradors grew up - on average? :
Re: Communication class [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=7532.msg105881#msg105881 date=1409428358] Did you learn at what age teenaged Labradors grew up - on average? : [/quote] I didn't want to ask...for fear the answer is a LOT older than I'm hoping...
